Canton Inc. Magazine 2012

Canton Inc. is a new economic development publication that the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce has produced in collaboration with GateHouse Ohio Media, parent company of The Repository. Inside, you’ll find that Canton Inc. highlights examples of business and economic development activities in greater Canton/Stark County, showcasing all that's positive about the pro-business landscape of our region.

CantonINC
Canton Inc. is an economic
development publication
produced through a collaboration
of the Canton Regional Chamber of
Commerce and The Repository.
• Plant Material Installation
• Perennial Flower Beds
• Brick & Stone Patios &
Walks
• Retaining & Sea Walls
• Lawn Installation
• Planting Bed Maintenance
• Ponds & Water Features
• Mowing
Experienced Graduates of OSU Agricultural Technical Institute
CANTON REGIONAL
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Dennis P. Saunier President & CEO
dennys@cantonchamber.org
(330) 456-7253
Steven J. Katz Senior Vice President
katzcrcc@cantonchamber.org
(330) 458-2062
Jessica A. Bennett
Director of Marketing & Events
jessb@cantonchamber.org
(330) 458-2071
Denise A. Burton
Director of Sales & Membership
deniseb@cantonchamber.org
(330) 458-2067
Kathy D. Irwin Director of
Accounting
kathyd@cantonchamber.org
(330) 456-7253
David C. Kaminski Director of
Energy & Public Affairs
davidk@cantonchamber.org
(330) 458-2059
Michael P. Gill Director of
Canton Development Partnership
mikeg@cantonchamber.org
(330) 458-2090
John R. Kiste Executive Director of
Canton/Stark County Convention &
Visitors’ Bureau
johnk@visitcantonstark.com
(330) 458-2080
Joanne K. Murray Director of
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Enshrinement Festival
joannem@cantonchamber.org
(330) 458-2050
Eric Smer Director of ystark!
(330) 458-2302
ystark@cantonchamber.org
Fran Wells Director of
Leadership Stark County
franw@leadershipstarkcounty.org
(330) 458-2094
CONTENTS
8
10
14
17
24
CEO Message
Local attractions
Economics
Neighborhoods
Site selections
26
33
38
41
47
Energy
Manufacturing
Transportation
Deep roots
Small business
50 Area resources
52 Growing in Stark
57 Health care
60 City info
62 Education
66
70
72
Food
Stark resources
Development
resources
74
Final look
CantonINC
REPOSITORY/
GATEHOUSE OHIO MEDIA
Kevin M. Kampman Publisher
kevin.kampman@cantonrep.com
330-580-8451
Christopher T.White General Manager
chris.white@cantonrep.com
330-580-8428
Donald J. Detore Interim Executive Editor
don.detore@cantonrep.com
330-580-8344
Maureen Ater Director of Marketing
maureen.ater@cantonrep.com
330-580-8451
Darla Brown Niche Publications Editor
darla.brown@cantonrep.com
330-580-8579
Patrick Mackie Business Development
patrick.mackie@cantonrep.com
330-580-8430
Michael Weiss Associate graphics editor
michael.weiss@cantonrep.com
330-580-8575
Julie Botos Photography
julie.vennitti@cantonrep.com
330-580-8409
CONTRIBUTORS
Scott Brown, Bob Rossiter
Executive Committee,
Canton Regional Chamber of
Commerce, Board of Directors
Chairman of the Board Rick L. Haines,
AultCare; Sr.Vice Chairman Karen
Brenneman, Hall, Kistler & Company LLP;Vice
Chairman Brian Belden,The Belden Brick
Company;Vice Chairman Philip D. Fracassa,
The Timken Company;Vice Chairman Kevin
Kampman,The Repository;Treasurer D.
William Allen, Pro Football Hall of Fame;
Immediate Past Chairman George W. Lemon,
Technical Products Group (retired), Dennis P.
Saunier, President and CEO, Canton Regional
Chamber of Commerce; Steven J. Katz,
Corporate Secretary, Canton Regional Chamber
of Commerce
CantonINC is published by GateHouse
Ohio Media. 500 Market Ave. S, Canton,
OH 44702; 330-580-8300. CantonINC
is protected by federal copyright law,
which gives CantonINC exclusive rights
to reproduce or authorize reproduction
of its materials.
AD INDEX
2 Grabowski & Co.
3 The Repository
4 Classic Landscaping
5 United Way
6 Stark State College
7 Jülz by Alan Rodriguez
9 Canton Regional Chamber
of Commerce
12 Stark County District Library
13 ArtsinStark
15 Canton Symphony
15 About magazine
16 Aultman Hospital
19 Rice’s Nursery
20 Ramsburg Insurance
21 Canton Palace Theatre
21 Canton Charge
22 CSE Credit Union
24 SARTA
25 Sol Harris/Day Architecture
25 Shearer’s Foods
28 WKSU
28 Black McCuskey Souers &
Arbaugh
29 Kenan Advantage Group
29 The University Center
31 University of Mount Union
31 NAI Spring
32 Mercy Medical Center
35 Premier Bank and Trust
35 Hammontree & Assoc.
36 Abbott Moving
36 Canton/Stark County CVB
37 Kent State University Stark
39 Huntington Bank
40 ystark!/Leadership Stark County
43 Fifth Third Bank
43 Capestrain Jewelers
44 Standard Plumbing & Heating
45 Canton Community
Improvement Corportation
46 Hartville Marketplace
46 BIA Stark
49 Pro Football Hall of Fame
49 Pete’s Grill and Pizza
50 Bob & Pete’s Flooring
50 Downtown Ford
51 The Belden Brick Company
54 Gasser Fine Jewelers
55 Diebold
56 Hughes Kitchens
60 AllState-Dillenback
60 Canton Aluminum
61 AultCare
64 Krugliak,Wilkins, Griffiths &
Dougherty
65 North Canton Medical
Foundation
68 Beaver Excavating
69 Furbay Electric
70 Shannon English Marketing
70 Brewster Cheese
71 Stark Parks
71 Atwood Boats
72 Day Ketterer
72 NEO Medical University
73 Biery Cheese
73 Plain Local Schools
75 Malone University
76 Chesapeake Energy
For information about how to advertise in this publication, please call
Patrick Mackie, business development manager, at 330-580-8430 or
email patrick.mackie@cantonrep.com.
• Certified Bench Jeweler
on Staff
• Complete Jewelry Repairs
& Restoration
• Pearl & Bead Restringing
• Hand & Machine
Engraving
• Complete Watch Repairs,
Batteries, Crystals, Bands
• Expert Appraisals
220 Market Ave. N, Canton
Tues.-Fri. 9:30-5:30, Sat. 9:30-3:00
330.455.5555
www.julzbyalan.com
CEO MESSAGE CantonINC
A
SHOWCASE
FOR STARK COUNTY BUSINESSES
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
W
8
elcome to the first
issue of Canton Inc., a
publication dedicated
to showcasing Canton
and Stark County as a prime destination for doing business.
Our region has the strongest of
backbones in manufacturing, paired
with a surge in new technologies.
Our industries are diverse and our
spirit of entrepreneurship abundant.
And so, the pages of Canton Inc. are
filled with snapshots of the true business dynamic in Canton — forwardthinking, steadfast companies with
hardworking, talented people working for them. If that sounds like
where you'd like to do business, then
Canton Inc. is your invitation to
join us.
Situated in Northeast Ohio, the
Hall of Fame City and surrounding
communities comprise the strategic
place for your company to do business. Stark County has long prided
itself on its industrial prowess, with
small businesses and Fortune 500
companies alike calling Canton
home. With six outstanding colleges
and universities in Stark County,
we’re prepared to meet the needs of
innovative companies who are seeking talented professionals now and in
the future. We’re innovative, and
we’re poised to welcome even
greater investments, expansions and
growth of existing and new businesses this year.
Canton/Stark County faces an
extraordinary year ahead. Canton has
recently been branded The Utica
DENNIS SAUNIER AND KEVIN KAMPMAN
CapitalTM, as oil and gas exploration
in the region’s Utica Shale deposits
could affect every aspect of business
in Canton. And while oil and gas are
creating enormous excitement, Stark
County already has established itself
as a center for energy in the development of wind power and fuel cells, as
well as in our nearly endless fresh
water supply.
When you consider our region’s
low cost of living, high home-purchasing power, world-class attractions,
cultural access, innovative companies
and highly educated workforce,
Canton/Stark County is a thriving
center for business development.
We invite you to explore this
publication, but more importantly,
to explore our region for business
relocation and growth.
Dennis P. Saunier
President & CEO, Canton Regional
Chamber of Commerce
Kevin M. Kampman
Publisher, The Repository/
GateHouse Ohio Media
ATTRACTIONS CantonINC
W
elcome
to Stark County
Home to both national attractions and tucked-away treasures,
Stark County abounds with options to suit every taste. From the
well known Pro Football Hall of Fame to the thriving downtown
arts district to the amazing parks and recreation — these pages
hold just a sampling of all Stark County has to offer.
BY JOAN PORTER
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
CANTON
ARTS DISTRICT
10
The outdoor murals, painted trash
cans and recycled sculptures welcome
visitors to Downtown Canton’s Arts
District, an eclectic mix of studios,
galleries, theaters and restaurants.
From photography to paintings,
ornaments to pottery and jewelry to
wearables — if it's art, you will find it
here. Food, music, and movie festivals
are held in the arts district throughout
the year. On the first Friday of each
month, venture downtown to enjoy an
evening of art, live music, and street
performers.Visit www.cantonarts
district.com for more information.
CantonINC ATTRACTIONS
CANTON
MEMORIAL
CIVIC CENTER
WORLD WAR
HISTORY & ART
MUSEUM
If basketball is the name of your game,
then be sure to get tickets to a home
game of The Canton Charge, an
NBA D-League affiliate for the Cleveland
Cavaliers.The team plays at Canton
Memorial Civic Center. The center also
hosts circuses, tournaments, expos, shows,
dinners, auctions, graduations and high
school proms. For more information and
a schedule of games and events, visit
www.cantonciviccenter.com.
Original artwork by veterans of
World I and II set the stage for an
assortment of exhibits that preserve and present the history of
those armed conflicts. Among the
exhibits at the World War History
& Art Museum in Alliance are
trench art, war relics, air combat,
Nazi propaganda, scale models, toy
soldiers and women in the war. For
more information, visit
wwham.com.
This little gem of a museum in North
Canton preserves the history of an
everyday common household appliance — the vacuum cleaner. But the
museum itself is far from common.
Nestled within this Victorian Italianatestyle farmhouse — the boyhood home
of Hoover Company founder William
“Boss” Hoover — are vintage vacuums,
advertisements, ladies’ fashions, home
décor and war memorabilia. Awardwinning herb gardens add lovely scents
and color to the grounds.The Hoover
Historical Center offers a variety of
programs throughout the year, including games played by an 1860s baseball
team called the Hoover Sweepers,
summertime story-telling and a
Christmas open house. For more
information, visit www.walsh.edu/
hoover-historical-center.
PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton
is an awaiting paradise for sports fans.
Check out the busts and informational
kiosks of the 267 NFL players who have
been inducted into the HOF since it
opened in 1963. From the Super Bowl
gallery and treasured artifacts to the
museum store and interactive game areas,
it’s all football all the time at the Hall of
Fame. The $27 million “Future 50” expansion and renovation project — the largest
in the Hall’s history — is under way, with a
grand opening scheduled for August 2013
to coincide with the Hall of Fame’s 50th
anniversary. Visit www.profootballhof.com
for more information.
QUAIL HOLLOW STATE PARK
Be on the lookout for frogs, deer, raccoons
and red foxes as you hike, bike, ride horseback or cross-country ski along the trails
in Quail Hollow State Park.There is a lot
to see and learn throughout the three
major habitats in this 703-acre park and at
its nature center filled with displays, live
animals, and hands-on activities. Bring a
picnic, fish in the stocked pond, ice-skate,
visit the Carriage House Nature Center or
tour the historic 40-room H.B. Stewart
Manor House and Herb Garden. Special
programs are offered throughout the
year. For more information, visit
www.quailhollowpark.org
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
HOOVER
HISTORICAL
CENTER
11
ATTRACTIONS CantonINC
CULTURAL CENTER
FOR THE ARTS
CANTON PALACE
THEATRE
Built in 1926, the Canton Palace Theatre is a fine example
of a community effort that has restored the theater to its
original glory. Settle into a comfortable seat and savor
the ambiance of a Spanish courtyard on a midsummer
night as the clouds float across the sky. While you wait
for your show to begin, listen to the strains of the
theater's original Kilgen pipe organ.This multi-purpose
entertainment venue is busy throughout the year with
professional productions, ballets and films.Visit
www.cantonpalacetheatre.org for more information.
When it comes to the arts, Canton has it all. Enjoy your favorite arts
all within one building — the Cultural Center for the Arts. Here you
will find performances by the Canton Ballet, Canton Symphony,
Voices of Canton, Inc. and the Players Guild Theatre. And let’s not
forget the Canton Museum of Art, with its permanent collection and
changing exhibits.This place is an art lover’s dream come true! To
learn more about each of these organizations and their shows, visit
www.artsinstark.com and click on “Cultural Center.”
OHIO & ERIE CANALWAY
From Lake Erie southward to the Tuscarawas River, you can experience
110 miles of nature, culture, and history by traveling the Towpath Trail,
riding the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, or driving along America’s
Byway. In Stark County, you’ll find 48 trailheads to access 25 miles of the
Towpath Trail, where you can bird, bike, hike, run and ride on horseback
along the path where mules plodded as they pulled canal boats over
100 years ago. Stop in Canal Fulton for a ride on the St. Helena III, a
canal-era freight barge. Key visitor centers are in Canal Fulton and at
Sippo Lake.Visit www.ohioanderiecanalway.com for more information.
CantonINC ATTRACTIONS
OHIO SOCIETY
OF MILITARY
HISTORY
Investigate all periods of Ohio’s military
history by visiting the Ohio Society of
Military History Museum in Massillon. Old
uniforms, historic documents, photographs
and prestigious medals all honor the men
and women who served in our country's
armed forces. Go to www.ohiotraveler.com
and click on Ohio Society of Military
History for more information.
NATIONAL FIRST
LADIES' LIBRARY
The First Ladies' Library is a unique
resource and national archive located
in the heart of Canton and devoted to
educating the public about the contributions of First Ladies and other
notable women in history.Visit online
at www.firstladies.org.
STARK
PARKS
If getting close to nature is what you like,
then spend some time in any of the 8,200
acres that make up the 13 parks belonging
to Stark Parks.The park system throughout
Stark County offers walking, bicycling and
equestrian trails along with a variety of
events, activities
and educational
programs at its
centers. Boating,
fishing, geocaching, letterboxing, questing
and orienteering
are all part of
the park experience. Additional
information may
be found at
www.stark
parks.com.
WILLIAM
McKINLEY
PRESIDENTIAL
LIBRARY AND
MUSEUM
Take a step back in time at the
William McKinley Presidential
Library and Museum in Canton.
Explore 200 years of the area’s history, learn about the life and career
of Canton’s favorite son and 25th
president of the United States,
meander through the Street of
Shops, stop at the model train layout and enjoy a variety of changing
exhibits.The museum offers a treasure trove of information on presidential and local history. Next door
is the McKinley Monument,
President McKinley’s final resting
place. More information may be
found at www.mckinleymuseum.org.
ECONOMICS CantonINC
STARK COUNTY
ECONOMICS
INCOME AND
COST OF LIVING
Median household income:
$44,999
Median home value:
$128,000
Median rent:
$622/MO.
Cost of living:
15% LOWER
than U.S. average
HOUSEHOLD INFO
Canton population
Stark County population
Median resident age
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
Age 17 and under
14
Average July high:
33
82
degrees
degrees
40.3
23.3%
8.7%
Age 25 to 44
24.5%
Age 45 to 64
27.8%
Age 65 and over
15.6%
High School grad or higher:
Average January low:
375,586
Age 18 to 24
EDUCATION
WEATHER
73,007
87.8%
20.4%
6.5%
Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree:
Graduate or professional degree:
CantonINC ECONOMICS
MAJOR INDUSTRIES
Education, health care and social assistance:
24.1%
18.5%
11.7%
Manufacturing:
Retail trade:
Arts, entertainment, recreation,
accommodation, food service:
9.0%
Professional, scientific,
management:
8.4%
HENRY
TIMKEN
MAJOR
OCCUPATIONS
Management, business, science
and arts occupations:
30.7%
25.8%
16.8%
Sales and office occupations:
Production, transportation
and material moving occupations:
MAJOR
EMPLOYERS
Affinity Medical Center
Alliance Community Hospital
Aultman Hospital
Canton City Schools
Diebold, Inc.
Fishers Foods
Freshmark Inc.
GE Capital
Mercy Medical Center
Nationwide Insurance
Republic Engineered Products
Shearer's Foods
Stark County Government
Stark State College
The Timken Company
WORKFORCE
Total workforce: 192,511
Average commute: 21 minutes
SOURCES: U.S. Census Bureau,
Ohio Department of Development,
NOAA and the National Weather
Service, United States Department
of Labor (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
STARK COUNTY
NEIGHBORHOODS:
MOVE-IN
READY
BY JESS BENNETT
Continued on page 18
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
A place where your business will flourish must also be a place where your people will
flourish. Canton and the Stark County region enjoy one of the most affordable housing
markets in the nation. From new, up-and-coming neighborhoods near activities for
families and singles to grand dame historic allotments, resplendent with architectural
flourishes and wooded lawns, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s truly something for everyone.
Urban-style loft apartments are on the rise in downtown areas, while quaint,
charming starter homes dot neighborhoods in every corner of the county. Canton is a
cornucopia of realty options at every price range. The median home cost in Stark
County is $128,000, and the median rent is $622 per month. With a cost of living
15 percent lower than the national average, hassle-free commutes and communities
packed with history and amenities, Canton is the perfect destination for your business
to take root.
17
NEIGHBORHOODS CantonINC
GLAMORGAN CASTLE, ALLIANCE
Continued from page 17
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
ALLIANCE
18
Located in the eastern part of Stark
County, Alliance is the official home
of the Ohio state flower â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the scarlet
carnation. Alliance celebrates with an
annual Carnation Festival, packed
with 10 days of events that bring
thousands of visitors to the Carnation
City. Alliance also is the home to
Glamorgan Castle, Haines House,
and The University of Mount Union
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a Division III college with a
championship football team, strong
educational standards and a strong
community presence.
CANAL FULTON
Canal Fulton is conveniently located in
northwest Stark County. This old canal
town is home to a historic district,
boasting more than 100 sites listed on
the National Historic Register. Climb
aboard the St. Helena III, an authentic
reproduction of a horse-drawn canal
boat. Travel along an original section
of the Ohio and Erie Canal by bike,
hike or canoe on the Towpath Trail.
Quaint shops and restaurants are abundant in this picturesque village.
CANTON
Canton is experiencing an exciting
downtown renaissance, with a vast
array of art galleries, studios, restaurants and attractions flourishing in a
beautifully manicured downtown corridor. The city offers more than 50
unique neighborhoods, including gorgeous historic allotments as well as
urban loft-style living in the center
city. The Hall of Fame City is home
to national attractions including the
Pro Football Hall of Fame, First
HISTORIC RIDGEWOOD
ALLOTMENT, CANTON
CantonINC NEIGHBORHOODS
HARTVILLE FLEA MARKET,
HARTVILLE
Ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; National Historic Site and
McKinley Presidential Library,
Museum and Monument. The arts are
everywhere with the Canton
Symphony, Canton Ballet, Players
Guild Theatre and Canton Museum of
Art, to name just a few. Canton
Memorial Civic Center also brings the
area national music acts, trade shows,
sports events, and more.
Canton is full of history and heroes,
and is the site of the founding of professional football. Each year, the Pro
Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement
Festival honors the legends of pro
football, which includes conducting a
world-renowned festival celebrating
the annual enshrinement of football
players, coaches and contributors into
the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Enshrinement Festival activities,
attended by nearly 700,000 people,
annually produce an economic impact
of more than $31 million for the
Canton/Stark County area and
$56 million for the state of Ohio.
EAST CANTON/
OSNABURG
TOWNSHIP
This area is located five miles east of
Canton along U.S. Route 30, and is
home to a historic golf course.
Clearview Golf Course is on the
National Register of Historic Places.
The course, located in Osnaburg
Township, was built in 1946 by William
Powell, who encountered racial discrimination on the golf course. After returning home from World War II, he decided
to build his own place to play, where
people of all colors would be welcomed.
LAKE TOWNSHIP:
HARTVILLE,
GREENTOWN
AND UNIONTOWN
Nestled in the northern corner of
Stark County is Lake Township and
the communities of Hartville,
Greentown, Uniontown, Aultman and
Continued on page 20
NEIGHBORHOODS CantonINC
CONSTITUTION PARADE, LOUISVILLE
Continued from page 19
Cairo. The area is brimming with
unique shops, restaurants, boutiques, art
galleries and bed and breakfasts. Family
entertainment includes miniature golf,
swimming, parks, trails and three scenic
golf courses. Enjoy wine tasting, homemade pies and a farm market. The
splendor of simple pleasures is what
Lake Township has to offer.
JACKSON
TOWNSHIP
Jackson Township is the county’s retail
center. Westfield Belden Village and
The Strip shopping areas comprise
more than 140 restaurants and an everexpanding retail and commercial center. The park system consists of eight
parks and approximately 300 acres.
There are three private country clubs
and three public courses in Jackson.
The township is also the home to Stark
State College and Kent State
University at Stark, the largest regional
KSU campus, which boasts the stateof-the-art Kent State Professional and
Education Center.
LOUISVILLE
A 10-minute drive northeast of
Canton will bring you to the lovely
community of Louisville. Known as
“Constitution Town USA,” Louisville
hosts a week of activities during
September that center around our
nation’s constitution. Featured during
this festive time are a queen’s pageant,
balloon lift-off, fireworks and parade.
Louisville offers five city parks where
all types of recreational activities
can be enjoyed.
MASSILLON
Massillon, known for its epic sports
tradition, retains the flavor of its past
as it enjoys economic resurgence. The
Massillon Museum displays art and a
chronology of the community, while
the castle-like Five Oaks Mansion
anchors historic Fourth Street, a neighborhood known for architectural gems
that span a century of design
excellence. Five Oaks and Fourth
Street join Spring Hill Historic
Home on the National Register.
The Legends of Massillon provides 27 holes of first-rate public
golfing. In addition, wooded hiking and biking trails intersect in
the community.
MINERVA
Nestled in the Appalachian
foothills on the historic Lincoln
Highway, the village of Minerva
offers a unique, relaxing smalltown atmosphere. A rich history
— including the Lost French
Gold Legend and original brick
sections of the Lincoln Highway
— awaits you. You’ll cherish
downtown Minerva, with its
brick streets, quaint shops,
cheesemakers, the Haas Museum
and murals. Challenging golf
courses, parks and trails, plus
great family and fine dining are
also available in the area.
NORTH
CANTON
The original home of the Hoover
Vacuum Cleaner offers an
excellent environment for family
and for entertainment. The
beautifully kept parks offer walking paths, picnicking, skateboarding and swimming in a
magnificent public pool. New
allotments and long-time housing
staples alike abound in North
Canton. Spend an evening of culture at the Playhouse Theater,
visiting the Hoover Historical
Center, or indulge in some great
food any night of the week for
big entertainment value in a
small town.
more story page 22
NEIGHBORHOODS CantonINC
from page 21
NAVARRE,
BREWSTER
AND WILMOT
Deemed the “Gateway to Ohio’s
Amish Country,” the southwest tip of
Stark County offers gently rolling
farmlands dotted with these quiet villages. Navarre is the home of Nickles
Bread, and Brewster boasts the headquarters of both Brewster Dairy and
Shearer’s potato chips. Wilmot is
home to the Amish Door Restaurant
& Village and the Wilderness Center,
consisting of 1,700 acres of land,
streams and prairies. Though these
villages may be small, more than half
a million people visit this area each
year.
PERRY TOWNSHIP
Nestled between Canton and
Massillon, Perry Township has a population of more than 28,000. Perry
Township is home to Sippo Lake,
Stark Parks offices and unincorporated Richville. The township has seen
much growth in the past several years
through housing, commercial and
industrial sites, medical facilities and
municipal structures. Though much
of the township has been developed,
some agriculture still exists.
PLAIN TOWNSHIP
Plain isn’t an accurate description of
this bustling township. It’s the largest
township in the county based on population (more than 50,000 total),
combining the advantages of township living with the convenience of
SIPPO LAKE,
PERRY TOWNSHIP
an urban area. The park system is a
source of pride in this area, and was
recently recognized as a top place to
relax in Stark County. The community here comes together each
December for a tree-lighting ceremony and family-friendly festivities.
CantonINC NEIGHBORHOODS
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
IN NORTHEAST OHIO
Akron Art Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Akron Zoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cleveland Browns Stadium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Brecksville . . . . . .
Great Lakes Science Center, Cleveland . . . . . . . .
Hale Farm and Village, Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Playhouse Square, Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Progressive Field (home to Cleveland Indians) . .
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland . . . . . . . . . .
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, Akron . . . . . . . . . .
Trumpet in the Land, New Philadelphia . . . . . . . .
University Circle Museums, Cleveland . . . . . . . . .
Warther Museum, Dover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
25
61
41
60
34
60
60
60
60
28
30
58
23
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
miles
GREAT
LAKES
SCIENCE
CENTER
90
LAKE ERIE
Cleveland
90
Brecksville
Peninsula
Akron
30
Stark
County
80
76
Canton
30
71
Columbus
70
CLEVELAND INDIANS
AKRON
ZOO
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
OHIO
WARTHER
MUSEUM
Dover
New Philadelphia
77
RIVER
NORTHEAST
OHIO
23
INDUSTRIAL LAND
AND BUSINESS PARKS
AKCAN INDUSTRIAL PARK
Location: North Canton, Ohio
Acres available: 16
Highway access: I-77
Zoning: Light industrial
Rail access: No
Development contact: Dan DeHoff,
DeHoff Realty, (330) 499-8153
ALLIANCE
COMMERCE PARK
Location: Alliance, Ohio
Acres available: 140
Highway access: U.S. Route 62
Zoning: Light/heavy industrial
Rail access: No
Development contact: Jim Stout,
Coastal Pet Products, (330) 821-2218
BECK PARK
Location: Louisville, Ohio
Acres available: 300
Highway access: state Routes 44 and 153
Zoning: Light industrial
Rail access: Yes
Development contact: Tom Ault,
City of Louisville, (330) 875-3321
EASTRIDGE
COMMERCE PARK
Location: Canton, Ohio
Acres available: 80
Highway access: U.S. Route 62
Zoning: Light industrial
Rail access: No
Development contact: Bob DeHoff,
DeHoff Development, (330) 499-8153
ELM RIDGE
INDUSTRIAL PARK
Location: Canal Fulton, Ohio
Acres available: 85
Highway access: state Route 21 and I-77
Zoning: Light industrial
Rail access: No
Development contact: Ken Schalmo or
Fred E. Etheridge, Schalmo Properties Inc.,
(330) 854-4591
FORD PROPERTY
Location: Canton, Ohio
Acres available: 85
Highway access: U.S. Route 30
Zoning: Heavy industrial
Rail access: Yes
Development contact: Fonda Williams,
City of Canton, (330) 489-3258
HARTVILLE
INDUSTRIAL PARKS
Location: Hartville, Ohio
Acres available: 40
Highway access: state Routes 43 and 619
Zoning: Light industrial
Rail access: Some potential
Development contact: Mayor's office,
Village of Hartville, (330) 877-9222
MASSILLON ENERGY &
TECHNOLOGY PARK
Location: Massillon, Ohio
Acres available: 392
Highway access: I-77, state Route 21,
and U.S. Routes 30 and 62
Zoning: Industrial
Rail access: Yes
Development contact: David Hall, CurrieHall Investment Co., (330) 650-0525 ext. 12
MILLER I
Location: Massillon, Ohio
Acres available: 350
Highway access: state Route 21 and
U.S. Route 30
Zoning: Heavy Industrial
Rail access: Yes
Development contact: Bob Sanderson,
Massillon Development Foundation and Miller
Family Trust, (330) 833-3148
MILLS BUSINESS PARK
Location: Canton, Ohio
Acres available: 110
Highway access: I-77
Zoning: Light Industrial
Rail access: No
Development contact: Dan DeHoff,
Canton Commerce LLC, (330) 499-8153
NAVARRE
PROSPECT PARK
Location: Navarre, Ohio
Acres available: 340
Highway access: U.S. Route 30
Zoning: Light Industrial
Rail access: Yes
Development contact: Perry Township,
(330) 833-2141
NOVA EAST
Location: Massillon, Ohio
Acres available: 120
Highway access: U.S. Route 30
Zoning: Light Industrial
Rail access: No
Development contact: Jon Calazza,
Beaver Excavating, (330) 966-8800
PORT JACKSON
Location: North Canton, Ohio
Acres available: 26.3
Highway access: I-77
Zoning: Light Industrial
Rail access: No
Development contact: Lisa Gould,
Akron-Canton Airport, (330) 668-4000
RECORR PARK
Location: Massillon, Ohio
Acres available: 30
Highway access: U.S. Route 30
Zoning: Light Industrial
Rail access: Yes
Development contact: Bob Sanderson,
Grief Brothers, (330) 833-3148
DID YOU KNOW?
Canton, Ohio, ranked 16th-most affordable housing market in the United States
at the end of 2011, according to Housing
Opportunity Index data from the
National Association of Homebuilders.
Stark County is within 600 miles of
60% of the entire U.S. population and
50% of the Canadian population.
The City of Canton owns and operates one of the largest underground
freshwater aquifers in the state of
Ohio, putting a nearly endless amount
of fresh water at your disposal for
processing or manufacturing.
Stark County is outpacing both Ohio
and the nation when it comes to students returning for a second year of
college. Eighty-five percent of all Starkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
high school graduates who go directly
to college return for their sophomore
year, viewed as a major step in degree
persistence and completion.
Canton is located at the intersection
of two major highway systems, 1-77
and U.S. 30, offering freedom and convenience for delivering products.
CantonINC ENERGY
COVERSTORY:
ENERGIZING
THE REGION
An oil and gas boom, wind energy
research and fuel cell technology has
many eyes focused on Stark County
Have you heard about the Utica Shale? Since late in
2010, nearly everybody in Canton has learned about
the Utica.
Lying about 7,000 feet below the surface of
Eastern Ohio, it may hold as much as 5 billion barrels of oil and 15.7 trillion cubic feet of gas. New
drilling technology permits oil and gas explorers to
reach the vertical depth of the Utica and then extend
the drill pipe horizontally into the shale. This provides access to thousands of feet of shale from one
drill site.
The biggest city in the heart of the Utica is
Canton. It has the business, educational and transportation infrastructure to support the oil and gas
industry. That is why Chesapeake Energy, which has
spent $2 billion on energy leases in the Utica, has
about 200 people at work in downtown Canton. And
it is why oil and gas service companies, engineering
firms and well field supply companies have followed
Chesapeake to Canton and surrounding Stark
County. It is hard to go anywhere in Canton these
days without people talking about oil and gas and the
enormous boost to the local economy that energy
exploration could bring.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Increasing operations here in the development of
the Utica Shale will bring economic benefits for
cities like Canton and the entire region. We will be
more than doubling our rig count in Ohio in 2012.
There will be more local jobs both with Chesapeake
and ancillary businesses, and in turn more revenue
for local residents and municipalities. We are excited
about what has happened so far and are optimistic
about the Utica Play,â&#x20AC;? says Keith Fuller, director of
corporate development for Chesapeake in Canton.
continued on page 28
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
BY DAVID KAMINSKI
27
Continued from page 27
At the turn of the new year,
Chesapeake had seven drill rigs in
the Utica Shale region of Ohio. By
year's end, it projects 20 rigs. This is
just the start of what could be 30
years of oil and gas exploration.
Chesapeake is the most visible oil
and gas exploration company operating in the Canton area, but it is not the
only company here that is preparing
to explore the Utica Shale. Another is
EnerVest, which has an office in
Hartville, just north of Canton. It is a
huge operator of shallower vertical oil
and gas wells in Ohio. By acquiring
the holdings of several companies
over the years, it has 1,900 vertical
wells in Stark County alone.
In an ideal position to take advantage of the Utica production is the
Marathon Petroleum refinery in
Canton, which is capable of receiving refinery products from Utica
wells by truck until gathering
pipelines can be constructed â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
another good fortune when it comes
to Canton's location.
And thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more
However, the exploration of the Utica
is not the only energy development
occurring in Canton and Stark County.
Canton also is home of The
Timken Co., a world leader in specialty steel and bearings. Timken, in
partnership with Stark State College,
the Stark County Port Authority and
the Stark Development Board, is
constructing an $11.8 million research
and development center to simulate
field tests for the enormous bearings
and seals needed to keep wind turbines
running. The research center is expected to be completed in August 2012.
“We are very pleased to launch such
an important project for the wind energy industry,” said Douglas Smith,
Timken’s senior vice president of technology and quality, at the groundbreaking for the research center. “... Being
able to simulate real-world conditions
at full-scale puts us in a unique position to rapidly assess and qualify new
solutions for the industry.”
And then there are megawatt-size
fuel cells under development by
Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems at the
fuel cell prototyping center on the
campus of Stark State College in
suburban Jackson Township. The fuel
cell system under development by
Rolls-Royce is big enough to power
a shopping center or a neighborhood,
and it can run on a variety of fuels,
including natural gas, a fuel in abundance in the shale deposits underground in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
A 7,500-square-foot addition to the
fuel-cell center at Stark State will be
completed by November 2012. Funded
primarily through a grant by the Small
Business Administration, the new space
will provide 6,500 square feet for
research and design at Rolls-Royce and
1,043 square feet for fuel cell systems
learning activities and a photovoltaic
certification program. An important
advantage of the partnership between
Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems and
Stark State College is the opportunity
to offer an education in fuel-cell technology to Stark State students.
Through exploration of the Utica,
through production of components
for the wind industry and through
development of fuel cells, Canton
and Stark County are nurturing the
future of energy in the United States.
ENERGY CantonINC
HYDRAULIC
FRACTURING
Fracturing
crew
How it works
Hydraulic fracturing, combined with
horizontal drilling, is a process in
which water, sand and chemicals
are injected into the earth
at high pressure to release
trapped gas.
Horizontal wells start
like a conventional gas
well.The drilling extends
much deeper than a conventional well. Depths of
7,000 to 10,000 feet are
required to reach the gas
deposits in the Utica Shale
formation.
1
1
RESIDENTAL
HOME
AQUIFER
CASING
Concrete
case
2
Well casing is cemented
into place to prevent
any fluids used in drilling and
fracturing from contaminating
aquifers and other geologic
zones.
3
After drilling vertically
to the depth that reaches
slightly above the shale, the
drill bit is turned horizontally
and pushed into the shale,
sometimes as much as 3,000
feet.
Small fractures are
created in the targeted
area with perforating charges.
Next, a fluid mixture of sand,
water and chemicals is injected
into the newly created fractures
at high pressure. Hydraulic fracturing will further crack the rock
and release gas trapped inside.
The fracturing requires between
3 million and 5 million gallons of
water per well.
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
4
30
After capturing gas from the
well, drilling companies recover
portions of the fracturing fluid, which
is treated and/or recycled for future
drilling projects.The well is prepared
for production. Energy companies
return to monitor and maintain
the site.
5
Source: www.hydraulicfracturing.com,
http://geology.com
2
Well
casing
Vertical
wellbore
Fresh
water
well
Fre
sh
wa
ter
aqu
ifer
FRACTURING
PROCESS
FRACTURING FLUID
The shale is fractured by
high pressure fluid that
is injected into isolated
portions of the well.
SHALE
FORMATION
Well depth
Shale is a sedivaries from
mentary rock
7,000 to
We
that is found in
10,000 feet
ll c
asi
the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crust
ng
Well
and often contains
Released gas
turns
large, untapped natuflows into the
horizontal
ral gas reserves.
well
Fracture
Names have been given
3
H
to types of shale.
we orizo
Marcellus and Utica shale
llb nt
Sand
mixed
into
or al
e
deposits are beneath parts
the fluid keeps
of Ohio, New York,
fractures open.
4
Pennsylvania and West
Virginia. Research indicates
the formations could yield
Ut
large amounts of natural gas.
ica
Wells can
extend as
long as
3,000 feet.
Sh
ale
UTICA
SHALE
MI
NY
MARCELLUS
PA
SHALE
IN
OH
NOT TO SCALE
WV
REPOSITORY GRAPHIC
BY BOB KAST
Y
KY
TN
VA
NC
MORE ON
FRACKING
Hydraulic fracturing involves forcing a
liquid under pressure into rock to
create tiny fissures that free up
trapped oil, gas and petroleum liquids.
Hydraulic fracturing is a key technique in the exploration of deep shale
formations. Modern technology allows
oil companies to turn the drill bit
from the vertical to horizontal to
reach thousands of feet into the shale
from one well.
But hydraulic fracturing is not new
to Canton or Stark County, Ohio. Oil
exploration companies drilling vertical
wells at much shallower depths than
the average 7,000-foot depth of the
Utica, have been hydraulically fracturing the earth to bring up oil and gas
for about 60 years. Oil and gas wells
dot the landscape around Canton and
Stark County.
Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different in this new oil play
is, principally, the scale of modern
exploration and the potential wealth
that would be shared with local
landowners and host communities.
One would not have to be in the oil
and gas business to be affected positively by a booming economy fueled
by low-cost energy.
CantonINC MANUFACTURING
NOT
YOUR
GRANDFATHER'S
MORGAN
ENGINEERING
MANUFACTURING
ANYMORE
HYDRODEC
The landscape for doing business has changed pretty dramatically in the last several years.
Customer demand for new products, advancements in technology, improved communications, worldwide competition, a
global market — all these things have contributed to the rapidly changing playing field for businesses. To remain competitive in today’s manufacturing world, companies must adapt —
and they must adapt quickly.
Four cutting-edge companies in Stark County have been
doing exactly that.
KOCH KNIGHT
Koch Knight in East Canton began in the early 1900s as the
Maurice A. Knight Company, making acid-resistant ceramic.
In 1981, Koch Engineering Company, Inc. purchased parts of
the Knight Company and today, Koch Knight LLC is a leading
innovator in corrosion-proof materials and environmental heat
transfer equipment.
Continued on page 34
RTI ALLOYS
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
BY JOAN PORTER
33
MANUFACTURING CantonINC
The company continues to hold its
own in a mature market.
Within the last 10 years, Koch
Knight has introduced more than 40
new products and has two more products on the drawing board, with
release expected within a year. In
addition, Koch Knight is currently
implementing lean manufacturing, a
business philosophy that focuses on
reducing costs while preserving value
for the customer by changing the way
people do their jobs.
Customer demands have kicked the
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
KOCH KNIGHT
34
company into high gear. Customers
want not only high quality products
but also new products. And they want
them delivered more quickly than
ever before. Koch Knight has
responded to its customers’ needs and
demands and has been able to keep
up the pace.
customers. Also sells ceramic and plastic
packing for pollution control equipment.
Number of employees: 75 in Canton
Years in Stark County: 15
About Stark: “We like Stark County for
its availability of high quality shop labor as
well as access to major truck routes. For
our employees, we like the lower cost of
living, family-oriented environment, great
schools and Midwestern values.”
-Michael Graeff
HYDRODEC
NORTH AMERICA
Hydrodec’s roots may only go back a
few years, but the business is firmly
planted in environmentally sustainable chemical processing that leaves
a small carbon footprint.
The process for removing cancercausing PCBs from used transformer
oil and returning the oil to a re-useable condition was developed in
Australia after eight years of
research. The end result was PCBfree transformer oil that could be
refined an infinite number of times,
allowing power companies to reduce
their use of new oil supplies. Once
the technology was patented,
Hydrodec, a London-based company,
was formed in 2001 and now has
plants in both Australia and Canton
with plans well underway to expand
into Japan.
In keeping with its focus on sustainability, Hydrodec North America
has brought new life to a brownfield
area in Canton, where the company
has been operating for four years,
transforming what once was considered a waste product into a renewable
product with a never-ending life
cycle.
ABOUT KOCH KNIGHT
President: Michael Graeff
Location: 5385 Orchard View Dr., SE,
Canton
Product or service: Leader in acid
proof systems for large industrial
ABOUT HYDRODEC
NORTH AMERICA
CEO: Ian Smale, general manager
Global Operations: Michael Pitcher
Location: 2021 Steinway Blvd., SE,
Canton
Product or service: Collects and
re-manufactures specialty mineral oil
products for reuse and provides
environmentally sustainable petrochemical
materials management.
Number of employees: 26 in Canton
Years in Stark County: 4
About Stark: “We like Canton for its
excellent shopping, quaint neighborhoods,
reasonable cost of living, access to talent
and proximity to the Eastern U.S.”
-Michael Pitcher
MORGAN
ENGINEERING
SERVICES, INC.
Morgan Engineering dates back to
1868 when a young Welsh immigrant
named Thomas R. Morgan set up
shop in Pittsburgh to manufacture
steam hammers and other special
machinery.
After three years, when the company outgrew its space, Morgan moved
the business to Alliance. Known as
“The Hammer Shop,” the company
soon expanded its product line to
include a variety of heavy equipment
and an assortment of cranes, which
gained the company notoriety in the
late 1800’s.
Today, Morgan Engineering is
known worldwide as the leading
designer of overhead traveling cranes
for aluminum companies, steel mills,
electric power plants, refuse facilities, container handling and general
industry use. In addition, they also
manufacture transfer cars, ladles,
scrap buckets and presses.
Throughout its existence, Morgan
Engineering has kept up with the
times by modernizing its equipment
and plant as well as developing new
products and redesigning old ones.
It has incorporated today’s technology into its engineering services as
well as into its equipment. Today,
after 141 years in Alliance, the
company continues to improve
its products and processes to
meet the changing needs of its
customers.
ABOUT MORGAN
ENGINEERING
SERVICES, INC.
President and CEO: Mark L. Fedor
Location: 1049 South Mahoning Ave.,
Alliance
Product or service: Material
handling equipment for the metals
and mining industry. Primary products
are electric overhead traveling cranes
and industrial automation/robotics
integration including all Level 1 and
Level 2 hardware and software
development for all metals and mining
equipment.
Number of employees: 110 fulland part-time employees
Years in Stark County: 141
About Stark: “The hardworking, dedicated people of Stark County who
unconditionally care about the quality
of their work are the biggest asset to
businesses of all sizes in the county.
Stark County businesses have kept
their synergies together through all the
economic turmoil and that’s why today
we see the resurgence of manufacturing in the hardest working county in
America. We are proud to be in Stark
County and we are proud to be 100
percent manufactured in Alliance, Ohio,
USA.”
-Mark L. Fedor
RTI ALLOYS
RTI International Metals,
founded in 1950, is one of the
world’s largest producers of
titanium with a global presence
in the United States, Canada,
Europe and Asia. Through its
numerous subsidiaries, RTI
International manufactures and
distributes an assortment of
titanium products to the
aerospace, defense, energy,
Continued on page 36
ALL ABOUT MOVING
FULL SERVICE MOVING & PACKING
• Quality Service at a Fair Price
• Local & Regional Long
Distance Moving
• Household, Office
& Commercial
• Experienced, Professional
Uniformed Personnel
• Packing & Crating
• Insured
FREE
ESTIMATES
One of the best moving values in NE Ohio
314 Cherry Ave NE • Canton, Ohio 44702
330-452-6683
Continued from page 35
medical and performance sport
industries. Its worldwide facilities
help RTI to better serve its customers.
As a subsidiary of RTI
International, RTI Alloys has been
producing titanium ingots in
Canton for the past 15 years. The
ingots then go to the Niles plant
where they are fabricated into
sheets and plates before being sent
on to be made into finished shapes.
Titanium may not be new to the
aerospace and medical industries.
It has been used in both for the
past 60 years, but increased use of
titanium products and new applications are always being developed. And it was just 20 years ago
that RTI International entered the
energy market. With continued
growth in existing fields and the
exploration of new markets, the
titanium business will continue to
grow as new applications for this
“space age” material are developed.
ABOUT RTI ALLOYS
CEO: Dawne Hickton of RTI
International Metals
Plant Manager: Shane Probst
Location: 1935 Warner Rd. SE,
Canton
Product or service: Produces titanium ingots and sends them to RTI Niles
to forge into smaller shapes and roll out
into plates and sheets to be sold to
other companies for use in aerospace,
industrial and other applications for customers around the world.
Number of employees: 70
Years in Stark County: 15
About Stark: “Stark County’s labor
pool is a major asset for doing business
in Stark County.There are a lot of
skilled individuals.The county has a
diverse workforce with diverse backgrounds.”
-Shane Probst
TRANSPORTATION CantonINC
HOW DO YOU
DO BUSINESS?
By rail, air, highway or waterway? It’s easy
to get where you need to go from Canton
BY DAVID KAMINSKI
90
LAKE ERIE
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
C
38
Cleveland
80
76
Stark
30
Canton
30
71
Wellsville
Columbus
RIVER
77
70
OHIO
anton’s rail network can
handle anything you put
on the tracks. The
Wheeling & Lake Erie
Railway is a regional railroad that
connects to Norfolk Southern, CN
and CSX. It is the largest provider of
rail transportation in Canton and
Stark County, operating more than
80 miles of track.
“Wheeling & Lake Erie moves
over 21,000 carloads per year to or
from customers in the county,” said
Jonathan Chastek, manager of economic and industrial development for
W&LE. It can offer customers up to
twice-daily service depending on
their shipping volume.
If you need to fly to the rest of the
country from Canton, you’re in luck.
We have the Akron-Canton Regional
Airport.
“When considering the perfect
business location, airport access is
critical,” said airport President and
CEO Rick McQueen. “Not only is
CAK conveniently located, we offer
the lowest average fare in a fourstate region and a relaxing airport
experience. Your road warriors will
thank you for making such a smart
location choice.”
CAK set another record in 2011 by
Dayton
71
Cincinnati
OH
IO
RIV
ER
CSX Transportation, Inc.
Norfolk Southern
Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway
Ohio Cenral Rail System
serving 1.6 million passengers, and it
is the 14th most affordable air market
in the United States. It offers nonstop service by Southwest/AirTran,
Frontier, Delta, US and United
Independent line
Amtrak service with CSXT and NS
Indiana and Ohio rail system
Airport
Highway
Express to Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.,
Charlotte, Orlando, Tampa, Fort
Myers, Atlanta, Denver, Chicago,
Milwaukee and Detroit.
CantonINC TRANSPORTAION
WHAT’S YOUR
DESTINATION?
FROM CANTON:
New York City 445 miles
Washington, DC 338 miles
Richmond,VA. 427 miles
Louisville, KY 333 miles
Indianapolis, IN 301miles
Chicago, IL 389 miles
Milwaukee,WI 476 miles
Detroit, MI 213
Toronto, ONT. 339 miles
If your business travels by highway, Canton is the intersection of
Interstate 77 and U.S. Route 30. It is
easily connected with Interstates 76,
71 and 80 (which is the Ohio
Turnpike). In the first decade of the
21st Century, Interstate 77, through
the heart of Canton, underwent a
massive expansion from four to six
lanes to accommodate the city’s personal and commercial traffic.
And if you ship on the water, the
Ohio River intermodal port at
Wellsville is 52 miles away. It’s your
barge connection to the ports of
Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans.
You can get anywhere from
Canton, by any means you choose.
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR
BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS
Leadership Stark County has been building
community trusteeship. Through our
programs, we are developing a core
of motivated leaders to serve Stark
County in the coming years -
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
ENGAGED IN STARK COUNTY
We’re here to develop a young, involved
and educated workforce for area businesses.
We want these businesses - our partners to know that we’re out there, working to attract
and retain diverse young professionals to this
area. For businesses in Stark County, ystark!
means just one thing: unlimited access to a
pool of the sharpest, most engaged YPs around.
www.ystark.org
A DEPARTMENT OF THE CANTON
REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT LEADERSHIP STARK COUNTY,VISIT
LEADERSHIPSTARKCOUNTY.ORG
222 Market Avenue N • Canton, Ohio 44702 • (330)458.2094
CantonINC DEEP ROOTS
THE TIMKEN COMPANY
Many roads lead to Stark County.
The Timken Company moved here
seeking access to Pittsburgh’s steel
and Detroit’s automobile market.
Belden Brick grew out of the clayrich soil that fed its kilns. Each of
the following six companies took
different routes, but each has put
down deep roots, invested in Stark
County and continued to flourish.
Continued on page 42
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
DEEP
ROOTS,
BRIGHT
FUTURES
BY JOAN RENNER
41
DEEP ROOTS CantonINC
Continued from page 41
THE TIMKEN
COMPANY
The Timken Company moved
from St. Louis to Canton in 1901.
For the first 100 years of business,
the company was known for its
tapered roller bearings. That is
changing. In the last 10 years, the
company has entered new markets
such as wind energy, mining and
power transmission. It has also
expanded its market in China and
changed its steel offerings. Sales
last year hit a record $5.2 billion.
Of the 21,000 people Timken
employs worldwide, 4,700 are
employed in Stark County. In
February, Timken announced a $225
million upgrade to Canton’s Faircrest
Steel plant. The upgrade is expected
to increase alloy steel bar capacity by
25 percent.
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
ABOUT
THE TIMKEN
COMPANY
42
CEO: James W. Griffith,
President and CEO
Location: 1835
Dueber Ave. SW,
Canton
Product or service:
GRIFFITH
Tapered roller bearings,
steel alloys, gear boxes, components for
wind energy, mining, and power transmission industries. Founded in St. Louis in
1899, moved to Stark County in 1901.
2011 sales: $5.2 billion.
Number of employees: 21,000 total;
4,700 in Stark County
Years in Stark County: 111
About Stark: “While the 21,000 people
of Timken work from 30 countries to be
close to customers, Canton has been our
home for more than a century. We are
proud to both live and work here in Stark
County, which has been a great partner in
progress with a terrific pool of talent.”
-James Griffith
GREGORY INDUSTRIES
GREGORY
INDUSTRIES
In 2011, a line in a transportation bill
would have banned federally-funded
projects from using guard rails
produced by continuous galvanizing
— the process used by Gregory
Industries. The company reached out
to Ohio’s U.S. Senators — Sherrod
Brown and Rob Portman. Portman
introduced an amendment to remove
the provision, and it was taken out
of the bill. Gregory Industries
specializes in proprietary
manufactured products, continuousgalvanized sheet coal and coatings,
fence products, guard rails, safety
cables and metalworking services.
The company originated in Brooklyn,
New York, but moved to Stark
County in 1957 to capitalize on
Ohio’s steel industry. Two plants
employ 125 people.
ABOUT GREGORY
INDUSTRIES
CEO: Steve Gregory, President and CEO
Location: 4100 13th St SW, Canton
Product or service:
Makes continuous-galvanized steel coil, guard
rails and safety cables,
strut and fence products.Thomas Gregory
Galvanizing Works
founded in Brooklyn in
1896; moved to Stark
GREGORY
County in 1957.
Number of employees: 125
Years in Stark County: 55
About Stark: “We moved our business
from New York to Canton 55 years ago
and have been pleased with the move.
A combination of a business friendly
political environment, a great work force
and superior health care for our
employees has helped our company
prosper and grow.”
-Steve Gregory
DIEBOLD
Diebold moved to Canton in 1872.
Today, the company employs roughly
16,000 people. Diebold makes and
services ATM machines and can
manage entire networks of ATMs,
said company spokesman Mike
Jacobsen. It provides both individual
site security and integrated system
security for multiple sites.
In 2009, Diebold competitor
NCR announced it was moving
from Dayton to Georgia, lured by
a generous tax incentive package.
Placed at a competitive
disadvantage, Diebold announced
its own move — two miles from
its current world headquarters.
Roughly 1,500 of its 1,900 local
employees will work in the new
building in Green; the company
expects $100 million in state and
local incentives for the $105 million project.
ABOUT
DIEBOLD
CEO: Thomas W. Swidarski, President
and CEO
Location: 5995
Mayfair Rd., North
Canton
Product or
service: Makes and
services ATMS.
Provides security for
individual and multiple sites. Founded in SWIDARSKI
1859 when German
immigrant Carl Diebold bought into
the Cincinnati safe building company C.
Baumann and Company. Moved to
Stark County in 1872.
Number of employees: 16,000 total,
1,900 in Stark County area
Years in Stark County: 140
About Stark: “The Stark County
region has provided a valuable business
environment since Diebold located
here in 1872. Now, with nearly 2,000
Diebold associates working in the area
and supporting local families, schools
and communities, we look forward to
opening a new chapter in our history
in the region with the opening of our
new global headquarters in the coming
years.”
-Thomas W. Swidarski
Continued on page 44
Shopping for a Diamond?
Pre-Owned & Estate Diamonds • 1/2ct • 1ct • 2ct
(priced at wholesale or better)
Check Us Out!
A Jeweler You Can Count On.…
Family owned for 56 years
3rd & Cleveland Ave., Downtown Canton
330-456-4443
Open Mon.,Tues.,Thurs. & Fri. ~ Other by appointment
We Buy Scrap
Gold &
Diamonds
DEEP ROOTS CantonINC
BELDEN BRICK
Belden Brick operates six plants in
nearby Tuscarawas County with
administrative offices in Canton. It
operates four plants through its outof-state subsidiary, Redland Brick,
and two distributorships. Total
employment comes to about 800.
Raw materials, a good work force
and low cost of living keep the company in the area, said President and
CEO Robert Belden. Last year,
Belden Brick produced just under
half of its 250 million standard brick
equivalent-capacity. Still, it was up
about 3 percent from 2010, sparking
optimism for this year. Mineral and
gas rights the company holds in two
counties also spark optimism. The
company is discussing how to benefit
from the recent Utica Shale exploration, Belden said.
ABOUT
BELDEN
BRICK
CEO: Robert Belden,
President and CEO
Location: 700
Tuscarawas St. W,
Canton
Product or service:
BELDEN
The largest family-owned
and managed brick company in the United
States. Makes and distributes bricks, with a
250 million standard brick equivalent
capacity. Founded (as Diebold Fire Brick
Company) in 1885.
Number of employees: 800 total, 500 in
Stark County area
Years in Stark County: 127
About Stark: “We have done business
here in Stark County for 127 years. It is
our home and we have enjoyed great support from this community and we hope
we have made a positive contribution in
return. Certainly, we are proud of the
part our products have made in helping to
create durable, beautiful buildings in which
all of us live, work, and play.”
-Robert Belden
MARATHON
PETROLEUM
Marathon Petroleum is also discussing what to do about Utica. The
Ohio-based company’s Canton refinery has already built a temporary
truck rack to accommodate the barrels coming in from Utica, said
spokesman Shane Pochard. Still,
Utica accounts for a small percentage
of the oil refined in Canton. “It's too
soon to tell” whether to increase production beyond the 78,000 barrel-aday capacity of the Canton refinery,
division manager Kevin Bogard said.
Still, Bogard is optimistic, both for
Marathon’s 350 local employees, and
CantonINC DEEP ROOTS
the entire region. “The job opportunity
that’s going to be in this area, the
amount of skilled labor that’s going to
be needed to come into this area, it’s
just a very exciting time,” he said.
ABOUT
MARATHON
PETROLEUM
CEO: Kevin Bogard, division manager
Location: 3801 23rd St. SW, Canton
Product or service: A wide range of
crude oils from light sweet to heavy sour.
Gasoline, diesel, asphalt, heavy fuel oil,
propane, and sulfur. Crude distillation,
catalytic cracking, catalytic polymerization,
hydrotreating, reforming, alkylation, and
sulfur recovery.
Refining capacity: Total company
capacity 1.2 million barrels a day;
Canton plant has 78,000 barrel capacity.
Number of employees: 350 in Stark
County
Years in Stark County: 81
(Local refinery built in
1931, was acquired by
Ashland Inc. in 1948
when Ashland merged
with Allied Oil
company; Ashland Inc.
formed joint venture
with Marathon in 2005,
which dissolved in
2008; in 2011,
BOGARD
Marathon Petroleum separated from Marathon
Oil.)
About Stark:
“From 22 years of Marathon, I've lived in
Illinois three times, Kentucky, Detroit,
Houston ... Canton is one of our favorites;
it’s a small enough town to get around,
and not fight all the people that you have
to in Houston, but it’s big enough that you
have all the things that you want to do.”
-Kevin Bogard
H-P PRODUCTS
H-P Products was founded in 1945 to
make gas conversion burners for coal
furnaces in households. Today, the
company makes engineered tube
bends for the automotive, construction
and agricultural industries at two
Louisville plants. Residential central
vacuum systems, bearing brand names
such as Dirt Devil and VACUFLO,
are produced at the company’s
Jackson Township plant. Company
spokeswoman Pam Corneliussen said
roughly 35 to 40 percent of new
homes in the United States have these
systems installed — and that the systems are even more common in
Canada. Employment at the three
plants and corporate headquarters
totals 375 people, said Corneliussen.
Continued on page 46
OPEN YEAR ROUND
Mon Thurs Fri & Sat 9am-5pm
Continued from page 45
Family owned and
operated since 1939!
Hartville MarketPlace and Flea Market exists solely
to create an environment for people to make money
in an enjoyable and fun shopping experience.
3 acre multilevel climate controlled indoor
shopping center with dining options.
12 acre paved lot for outside
vendors & 2 covered pavilions.
1289 Edison St NW, Hartville, OH 44632 • 330-877-9860
Stark County’s trusted
source for Building
& Remodeling
Use our members for
your next project!
Contact us for a list
of members
330-494-5700
biastark.com
ABOUT
H-P PRODUCTS
CEO: Allen Green, President
and CEO
Location: 512 W.
Gorgas St., Louisville
Product or service: Makes engineered tube bends
and residential central vacuum systems.
Number of
employees: 375
GREEN
Years in Stark
County: 67
About Stark: “The secret to our
growth and success has been a diversified product line, flexible manufacturing
capabilities, quality products and services, and the ability to rapidly respond to
market changes and customer
demands. However, none of this would
be possible without our greatest
asset…our people. Stark County offers
a vast pool of hard-working, talented
individuals, many who have been educated by one of our excellent school
systems or local universities. Many of
our suppliers, and some customers, are
also from Stark County or Ohio based,
meaning easier communications, more
on-time deliveries and less transportation costs. On a more personal note,
Stark County is a great place to raise a
family, since it has affordable housing,
reputable hospitals and health care
programs, a growing airport, and lots of
recreation and entertainment programs
and venues.”
-Allen Green
CantonINC SMALL BUSINESS
SMALL BUSINESSES:
The engine of a
thriving economy
Two rules for successful small
businesses: Find a niche and
adapt, adapt, adapt. Five local
businesses have followed that
path to success.
Stark Industrial, founded by
Raymond Wilkof in 1959, went
from distributing power transmissions to distributing cutting
tools and custom-made parts.
When their main supplier
stopped making custom parts,
Stark Industrial started manufacturing, which makes up about 90
percent of the business today,
said company Vice President Sam
Wilkof.
Fred Olivieri Construction,
founded the same year, focused
on gas station construction in
the 1960s.
When the mall came to Belden
Village in the early ’70s, the
company started building stores
and restaurants in and around
malls. One chain outlet job led to
others.
“Amazingly, the little Belden
Village area in Jackson (Township),
Ohio is pretty much in all the
United States,” said company
president Dean Olivieri.
Continued on page 48
ABOVE: Solmet
Technologies originally
focused on metallurgical sampling. Now
the business includes
machining, open die
forging and even
hand-forging by a
company blacksmith.
AT LEFT:
The Fred Olivieri
Construction
Company originally
focused on gas station
construction, but
found a niche in chain
outlet development.
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
BY JOAN RENNER
47
SMALL BUSINESS CantonINC
ABOUT HAMMONTREE
AND ASSOCIATES
HALL OF FAME BRIDGE,
HAMMONTREE AND ASSOCIATES
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
Continued from page 47
48
Today, the company does business
in 30 states, has a branch in Texas
and owns a cabinet shop, Mr. O’s
Custom Millwork and Store Fixtures.
The engineering company Jim and
Tim Seifert opened in 1985 has split
into three companies: Seifert
Engineering, Seifert Technologies,
which deals with information technology, and Seifert Associates, a
staffing firm. The firms operate in
Massillon, North Canton and
Nashville, Tenn. and employ
roughly 120 people.
Hammontree and Associates is continuing to adapt at the moment: The
civil engineering and land surveying
firm still does plenty of work with
area governments in road, bridge and
building construction. But
Hammontree and its subsidiary,
Morris Knowles & Associates, of
Pennsylvania, see growing business
from the Utica and Marcellus shale
formations in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
“It’s kind of like a gold rush,” said
president and CEO Charles F.
Hammontree. The company has had
two record years in a row, he said.
“We’re on pace to beat them this
year.”
Solmet Technologies is also benefiting from the gas and oil exploration.
“It’s a big, big deal,” said Solmet
President Joseph Halter.
The company Halter founded originally did metallurgical sampling.
Today, Solmet also offers machining,
open die forging and even hand-forging by a company blacksmith.
Employment at Solmet has nearly
tripled in three years. Halter is looking for a nearby company to heattreat the shafts his company makes
for gas exploration. The Texas and
Louisiana plants he relies on are
backed up two to three months, he
said.
“We’d like to take more control of
our own destiny,” he said.
The leaders of these companies
praised Stark County’s health care,
schools, colleges and universities,
sense of community and skilled work
force.
“We work all over the country, I
can say this, this is still one of the
best places to work,” Olivieri said.
CEO: Charles F.
Hammontree,
chairman and CEO
Location: 5233
Stoneham Rd.,
North Canton
Product or
service: Civil
engineering and
HAMMONTREE
land surveying.
Number of employees: 76
Years in Stark County: 46
About Stark:
“Ohio can contribute greatly (to oil and
gas exploration and use) in not only
uncovering and discovering the resource,
but developing it into plastics and
manufacturing and exporting.”
-Charles Hammontree
ABOUT SEIFERT
COMPANIES
CEO: Tim Seifert,
president and
owner, Seifert
Technologies; owner
Seifert Technologies
and Seifert &
Associates
Product or
service: Three
SEIFERT
separate companies
provide engineering, information technology and staffing services.
Number of employees: About 120
Years in Stark County: 27
About Stark: “ There is no shortage
of hard working, dedicated people living
right here in our area. I believe our firm
has taken full advantage of that.”
-Tim Seifert
ABOUT FRED OLIVIERI
CONSTRUCTION
CEO: Dean Olivieri, president
Location: 6315 Promway Ave. NW,
North Canton
Product or service: Constructs and
fits stores and restaurants within and
around malls. Also owns Mr. O’s
Custom Millwork and Store Fixtures
cabinet shop. Clients range from
Disney Stores to Victoria's Secret,
IHOP to Benihana.
Number of
employees: About
70 in the cabinet
shop; about 70 in
the construction
company.
Years in Stark
OLIVIERI
County: 53
About Stark: “It’s a great place to live,
great place to raise a family.”
-Dean Olivieri
ABOUT STARK
INDUSTRIAL
CEO: Raymond
Wilkof, President
Location: 5103
Stoneham Rd.,
North Canton
Product or service: Manufactures
custom precision
parts, cutting tools
SAM WILKOF, VP
and dead centers;
distributes cutting tools and precision
measuring tools. Large focus in aerospace
and environmental control sectors.
Number of employees: 33
Founded: 1959
Years in Stark County: 53
About Stark: “We’ve been very successful here in Canton, and there’s really no
other place I’d want to be.”
-Sam Wilkof, vice president
ABOUT SOLMET
TECHNOLOGIES
CEO: Joseph
Halter, President
and CEO
Location: 2716
Shepler Church
Ave. SW, Canton
Product or service: Metallurgical
sampling machining, HALTER
open die forging, hand-forging and nondestructive testing (NDT) inspection.
Number of employees: 60
Years in Stark County: 27
About Stark: “There’s a great work
ethic here ... there’s a lot of really good
workers here.”
-Joseph Halter
Enjoy High Quality Food
in a Pub Setting!
401 Cherry Ave., Downtown Canton
330.452.7383
Catering Available!
REGIONAL
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
FUND FOR FUTURE
The Fund for Our Economic Future is a
collaboration of philanthropic organizations and individuals that have united to
strengthen the economic competitiveness
of Northeast Ohio through grantmaking,
research and civic engagement. www.
FutureFundNEO.org, 216-456-9800.
JUMPSTART, INC.
Jumpstart provides intensive assistance and
service to Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs,
and selectively invests in the highest potential companies. www.JumpstartInc.org, 216363-3400.
TRADE CONSORTIUM
The Northeast Ohio Trade & Economic
Consortium is a multicounty regional economic development partnership that
works collaboratively in the region with
the goal of attracting capital investment
and jobs to Northeast Ohio through the
administration of Foreign-Trade Zone 181.
www.NEOTEC.org, 330-672-4080.
DEPT. OF DEVELOPMENT
Working with partners across business, state
and local governments, academia, and the
nonprofit sector, the Ohio Department of
Development works to attract, create, grow
and retain businesses through competitive
incentives and targeted investments.
www.Development.Ohio.gov, 800-848-1300.
STARK FOUNDATION
Since 1963, Stark Community Foundation
has connected the generosity of donors
with community need by making grants to
organizations working to improve Stark
County.Together with its donors, the
Foundation has granted more than $106
million to nonprofit organizations.
www.StarkCF.org, 330-454-3426.
TEAMNEO
TeamNEO serves companies and site
consultants by acting as the single point of
entry into the 16-county Cleveland Plus
region, and then works with counties and
communities to ensure seamless attraction
into Northeast Ohio. www.Cleveland
PlusBusiness.com, 216-363-5400.
GROWING IN STARK CantonINC
“
The Canton labor market
has just been ideal.
”
GROWING
-Greg Ouimet, regional vice president,VXI
in Stark County
BY JOAN RENNER
O
ne company plans to more than double
its employees locally to 1,200 by the
end of the year, while another recently
moved in with a staff of 65. A third
company has roots going back decades and continues
to see amazing growth — and a fourth opened a distribution center here after business continued to
climb in this market. All four companies, regardless
of size or history, have found Stark County a good
place to settle and grow.
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
VXI GLOBAL SOLUTIONS
52
VXI Global Solutions offers a full range of call center services, including sales, customer service, and
technical support in roughly 40 languages.
The company, which has 9,000 employees, first
opened an office in Youngstown because management was impressed with several new hires from
the region.
“We really liked doing business in Ohio. We felt
like we got tremendous support from the local community as well as the state,” said Nick Covelli, senior vice president of global sales.
An available AT&T building, coupled with Canton
Mayor William J. Healy II’s efforts, landed the office
in Canton, Covelli said.
VXI opened its Canton facility in August with 500
employees. By the end of this year, the company
plans to have 1,200 employees providing customer
VXI GLOBAL SOLUTIONS
CantonINC GROWING IN STARK
OLD DOMINION FREIGHT LINE
ABOUT VXI
GLOBAL SOLUTIONS
CEO: Eva Wang
Location: 401
Cleveland Ave. NW,
Canton
Product or service:
Full service call center
operation providing
sales, technical support
and customer service
WANG
in 40 languages to several countries. It also has an array of business
services, ranging from data entry to lead
generation and development software for
call center needs.
Number of employees: 600 in Stark
County now, with an additional 600 projected for the end of the year.
Years in Stark County: 1
OLD DOMINION
FREIGHT LINE
For years, Old Dominion Freight
Line has served the Canton area
through its Cleveland service center.
As business in the Canton market
grew, the company decided to open a
dedicated, 70-door distribution facility at Mills Industrial Park.
“We received wonderful cooperation from everyone in Canton,” said
ODFL spokesman Chip Overbey.
ODFL provides less-than-truck
service — a shipment for a specific
customer that does not take up the
entire trailer space. Area trucks pick
up several shipments in one day and
bring it back to a distribution center.
There, shipments with varying destinations are unpacked from the trucks
and regrouped according to common
destinations.
The company is based in
Thomasville, N.C., and employs
12,000 with 40 employed at the
Canton Center. Canton is ODFL’s
first facility with a Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) certification.
ABOUT OLD DOMINION
FREIGHT LINE
CEO: David Congdon,
President and CEO
Location: 3970
Commerce St. SW,
Canton
Product or
service: Less-thantruckload carrier,
operating in 48 states.
Number of
CONGDON
employees: 40 in
Stark County
Years in Stark County: 1
Continued on page 54
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
care, general marketing and technical
support.
VXI looks for employees with
technical and computer skills as well
as sales and customer service experience.
“The Canton labor market has just
been ideal,” said Greg Ouimet,
regional vice president. “We’ve designated Canton as our regional office.
We've purchased the facility. We plan
on being here a long time.”
53
GROWING IN STARK CantonINC
Continued from page 53
KENAN
ADVANTAGE
GROUP
Kenan Advantage Group originated in
Stark County. Through mergers and
acquisitions, it has grown to become
the largest tank-truck hauler in North
America. Kenan employs 7,000 people, about 450 of them in the region,
said spokeswoman Patty Harcourt.
“We have more than 125 terminals
and more than 200 satellite locations,” Harcourt said.
About 75 to 85 percent of what
Kenan Advantage hauls is fuel,
Harcourt said. In addition, it carries
chemicals, food-grade products and
industrial gases.
In 2008, Kenan moved its corporate
office and logistics center to a site
more than triple the size of the original.
“
We’ve stayed
in Stark County,
Ohio because of
the people. With
a long history of
manufacturing
success, this
region has developed a culture
of hard working,
highly skilled
individuals who
are committed to
the success of their
community.
”
-Dennis Nash,
CEO, Kenan Advantage Group
(pictured at left)
CantonINC GROWING IN STARK
The company invested heavily in
state-of-the art equipment and technology, including proprietary software that allows customers to track
deliveries in real time.
“(Ohio) Gov. Kasich, when he
came through our facility, indicated
this isn’t a trucking company; this is
a technology company with trucks,”
Harcourt said.
With subsidiaries as far flung as
Pennsylvania, California, Texas and
Wisconsin, the company could have
moved out of state. But Harcourt
said the local colleges and skilled
workforce made staying a good
decision.
The Stark Development board,
county commissioners and local
chambers of commerce also
deserve credit, she said. “We felt
very wanted.”
ABOUT KENAN
ADVANTAGE
CEO: Dennis Nash
Location: 4366 Mt. Pleasant St NW,
North Canton
Product or service: Tank truck hauler,
hauling primarily fuel products, chemicals,
industrial gases and food-grade products.
Number of employees: About 450 in
the Stark County region
Years in Stark County: 21
MEDLINE
INDUSTRIES
Medline Industries, an Illinois-based
producer and distributer of medical
supplies, started looking for a new
distribution center when its lease in
Columbus ran out.
Population statistics, interest from
area clients and support of area government and business organizations led it to
Canton, where it became the first tenant
of Mills Industrial Park, a 143-acre site
in the southwest corner of the city.
Medline bought the 18.9-acre site in
2010, committing to the $13.7 million
transfer center. The site, which
employs 65 people, distributes such
products as wound care items, surgical
gloves, walkers and wheelchairs within a radius of several hundred miles.
“We have an outstanding team, we
own the center, it’s somewhere we
plan to be for a very long time,” said
Bill Abbington, Medline president of
operations.
ABOUT MEDLINE
INDUSTRIES
Location: 3800 Commerce St SW, Canton
Product or service: Manufacturer and
distributor of medical supplies.
Number of employees: 65 in Stark
County
Years in Stark County: 1
CantonINC HEALTH CARE
ALLIANCE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
AFFINITY MEDICAL CENTER
AULTMAN HOSPITAL
MERCY MEDICAL CENTER
Caring for Stark
BY JOAN RENNER
With four hospitals in Stark County and a pediatric hospital nearby, residents here have access to
high-level prenatal care, in-patient hospice and
nearly everything in between.
“For the size of our county to have the sort of
medical facilities it has is incredible,” said local
employer Sam Wilkof. “If you don’t have healthy
workers, it doesn’t matter what you do.”
In the following pages, you’ll learn more about
Aultman Hospital, Mercy Medical Center,
Affinity Medical Center and Alliance Community
Hospital.
Continued on page 58
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
HEALTH CARE:
57
HEALTH CARE CantonINC
AFFINITY
MEDICAL CENTER
AULTMAN HOSPITAL
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
AULTMAN
HOSPITAL
58
Aultman Hospital is Stark County’s
largest hospital — and the county’s
largest employer.
Aultman predominantly serves members of its AultCare insurance program,
although the hospital has a program for
out-of-network patients as well.
Major programs at the hospital
include cancer, heart, emergency,
orthopedic, neurosurgery and stroke,
critical care and women and children.
Aultman and its satellite facilities
serve patients in a five-county area,
providing physical, occupational and
aquatic therapy, dialysis, pre-employment physicals and the county’s first
in-patient hospice center.
Aultman College teaches nursing
and radiology, but the hospital also
educates patients. Lung and breast
cancer patients can discuss their
health with a “patient navigator”
throughout treatment. Anyone can
use the Sharon Lane Health
Information Center. Support groups
help people lose weight, stop smok-
ing, adapt a vegan lifestyle — even
connect with grandchildren over
Facebook.
“When we talk about health, it's
not just the physical health of the
community,” said Aultman spokewoman Jen Kessel.
ABOUT AULTMAN
Where: 2600 6th St. SW, Canton
Years in Stark County: 120
CEO: Ed Roth
What makes it
special: Aultman
Hospital is Stark County’s
oldest and largest hospital — and the only one
that vertically integrates
an insurance provider, a
hospital and colleges of
ROTH
nursing and radiology.
Aultman also offers Stark’s only in-patient
hospice care center.
Licensed beds: 808
Employs: About 5,000 (includes hospital,
colleges, insurance provider)
Satellites: 18 facilities in three counties.
Accepts: AultCare insurance plans. NonAultCare patients can be admitted through
Aultman’s “Yes,You Can” program.
Website: www.aultman.org
Affinity Medical Center of Massillon
is Stark County’s only for-profit hospital, and the only one not locally
owned. Spokeswoman Susan Koosh
touts the benefits of belonging to the
133-hospital network operated by
Community Health Systems of
Nashville, Tenn.
“It's phenomenal. We can pull on
any of our colleagues or corporate
partners … to find services that have
been beneficial.”
Affinity opened a new heart center
in 2009, and a new orthopedic and
spine center in 2010. In 2011, it
added Da Vinci Si, a state-of-the-art
robotic surgery system. This year, it
is expanding its emergency department from 16 treatment rooms to 24.
Other specialties include pain management, women’s services, occupational health and in-patient senior
mental health. Affinity is a teaching
facility for Ohio University Heritage
College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Affinity is the only county hospital
that does not offer birth delivery; it
offers limited pediatric services.
ABOUT AFFINITY
Where: 875 Eighth St. NE, Massillon
Years in Stark County: 102
CEO: Ron Bierman
What makes it
special: Affinity
Medical Center is Stark
County’s only for-profit
hospital, with access to
a network of 133 hospitals.
Licensed
beds: 266
BIERMAN
Employs: 769
Satellites: Seven physician offices in
Stark County.
Accepts: All major insurance programs;
Affinity works with out-of-network
patients through its Affinity Access
program.
Website: www.affinitymedicalcenter.com
CantonINC HEALTH CARE
MERCY MEDICAL
CENTER
ABOUT MERCY
Where: 1320 Mercy Dr. NW, Canton
Years in Stark County: 104
CEO: Tom Cecconi
What makes it
special: Mercy
Medical Center is
Stark County’s only
Catholic hospital, and
the only one that
offers a dental residency program.
CECCONI
Licensed Beds: 523
Employs: About 2,500
Satellites: Eight facilities in three
counties.
Accepts: All major insurance plans. Mercy
works with out-of-network patients
through its “Your Choice” program.
Website: www.cantonmercy.org
MERCY
MEDICAL
CENTER
ALLIANCE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Alliance Community Hospital, built
in 2006, is the only Planetree hospital
in Ohio. Planetree is a patient-centered philosophy of treatment.
Bedside hand massages, aromatherapy and prayer shawls made by volunteers and blessed by a chaplain, are
some examples of what spokesman
Patricia Kimerer calls Alliance’s
“integrative therapy.”
Patients have a right to see their
chart when they wish; visitation is
restricted only when medical necessity or the patient dictates it.
Kimerer said the idea “is to treat
people as much as if they were at
home as we can.”
The acute care center, with an
urgent care center in Louisville,
offers general surgery, orthopedics,
wound care, maternity services, some
cancer treatment and extensive therapy programs. The nursing home
offers short- and long-term care.
ABOUT ALLIANCE
Where: 200 East State St., Alliance
Years operating in Stark County: 112
CEO: Stan Jonas
What makes it
special: Alliance is
Ohio’s only Planetree
hospital. Planetree is
a patient-oriented
philosophy.
Licensed beds: 259
(includes 78 skilled
JONAS
nursing beds in
affiliated nursing home and assisted
living center).
Employs: About 1,000
Accepts: All major insurance plans, will
treat out-of-network patients.
Website: www.achosp.org
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
Mercy Medical Center of Canton is a
Catholic hospital owned by the
Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine.
Mercy’s nationally recognized
emergency chest pain center features
a heart catheterization lab right in the
emergency department.
“We are among the best in the
nation in terms of what is called
door-to-balloon angioplasty,” said
spokeswoman Lynne Dragomier.
In addition to heart care, Mercy’s
specialties include emergency, cancer
and stroke care, vascular emergency,
robotic surgery and its 39-bed
regional rehabilitation center.
Mercy also operates a dental residency program and clinic. In addition
to routine dentistry — open to the
insured and uninsured alike — the
clinic caters to the special needs of
senior, disabled and pediatric patients
and has dentists on call for dental
emergencies.
One of Mercy’s satellite health
centers combines hospital, school,
YMCA and library facilities on a
common campus in Lake Township.
59
CONTACT INFO
ALLIANCE Mayor: Alan C.
Andreani / Alliance Area Chamber:
www.AllianceOhioChamber.org /
Alliance Area Development
Foundation: www.AllianceADF.com /
City of Alliance: www.CityofAlliance.com
CANAL FULTON
Mayor:
Richard Harbaugh / City of Alliance:
www.CityofCanalFulton-oh.gov / Canal
Fulton Chamber: www.DiscoverCanal
Fulton.com
CANTON Mayor: William J.
Healy II / City of Canton: www.Canton
Ohio.gov / Canton Regional
Chamber: www.CantonChamber.org
JACKSON TWP. Board of
Trustees President: James N.Walters
/ Jackson Township: www.jacksontwp
.com / Jackson/Belden Chamber:
ww.JBCC.org
LAKE TWP. Board of Trustees
President: John Arnold / Lake
Township: www.laketwpstarkco.com /
Lake Township Chamber: www.lake
chamber.com / Lake Township Development Foundation: www.LTDF. org
LOUISVILLE Mayor: Patricia Fallot
/ City of Louisville: www.LouisvilleOhio
.com / Louisville Area Chamber: www.
LouisvilleOHChamber.com
MASSILLON Mayor: Kathy
Catazaro-Perry / City of Massillon:
www.MassillonOhio.com / Massillon
Area Chamber: www.MassillonOH
Chamber.com / Massillon
Development Foundation:
www.MassillonDevelopment.com
MINERVA
Mayor: James Waller /
Village of Minerva: www.ci.minerva.oh.us
/ Minerva Chamber: www.Minerva
Chamber.org
Canton Aluminum offers a wide variety of patio enclosures,
sunrooms, screen rooms, patio covers, awnings, windows, siding,
replacement and storm doors! Our reputation has been built on quality
craftsmanship and integrity with our own factory trained crew. We can offer
0% interest options to help to make your dream home a reality.
Call us today for a free in-home estimate!
(330) 456-0021 or 1-800-826-6303 â&#x20AC;˘ www.cantonaluminum.com
NORTH CANTON Mayor:
David J. Held / City of North Canton:
www.NorthCantonOhio.com / North
Canton Area Chamber of
Commerce: www.NorthCanton
Chamber.org
PLAIN TWP.
Board of Trustees
President: Scott Haws / Plain
Township: www.PlainTownship.com /
Plain Township Chamber:
www.PlainTownship.com
EDUCATION CantonINC
MALONE UNIVERSITY Located in Canton, Malone educates 2,300 students in a variety of bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree programs. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Friends Church.
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
Education is a
priority in Stark
62
County boasts strong high school and early college
curriculums, abounding options for higher education
BY DAVID KAMINSKI
anton and surrounding Stark County are committed to getting their young people into college, and six local colleges are ready to fill
their needs.
College preparation starts with high school graduation.
Of 18 public high schools, 14 have graduation rates at or
above 90 percent. Seventeen of 18 exceed the state and
national average. Three private, religious-based high
C
schools exceed a 95 percent graduation rate.
A growing number of Stark County high schoolers earn
college credit through advanced placement courses and a
dual-credit program in which adjunct professors teach college-level courses in high school for simultaneous high
school and college credit.
Continued on page 64
CantonINC EDUCATION
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY AT STARK The campus in Jackson Township
offers selected bachelor’s and master’s degree programs as well as wide-ranging
professional and workforce development programs.The campus serves more
than 11,000 students each year.
UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION
Located in Alliance, northeast of Canton, Mount
Union has about 2,260 undergraduate and
graduate students. It recently launched a
bachelor’s in engineering program. Mount Union
is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
AULTMAN COLLEGE Associate’s degrees in nursing are offered currently to
315 students. An associate’s degree in radiography is being developed. It is on the
campus of Aultman Hospital and Aultman Health Foundation in Canton.
STARK STATE COLLEGE The main campus
in Jackson Township and several satellite campuses
— including one in downtown Canton — offers
associate’s degrees, certificate training and contract training for area employers. Enrollment for
credit exceeds 15,300.
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
WALSH UNIVERSITY A Catholic university of nearly 3,000 students in
North Canton, Walsh offers bachelor’s and master’s programs, and it is developing
a center for research and education in teacher preparation that it hopes to link to
scholars around the world.
63
from page 62
Then there is Early College
High School in Canton, where
students over four years can earn
their high school diploma and an
associate’s degree from Stark
State College.
These programs have inspired
entire families. In many
instances, parents are returning
to college as their children earn
college credit while in high
school. As a result, Canton and
Stark County have outpaced
Ohio and the nation in the
growth of associate’s and bachelor’s degrees.
“When we have an idea, we’re
relentless about
it. We just keep
at it,” said Dr.
Adrienne
O’Neill, president of the
Stark Education
Partnership, a
privately fundO’NEILL
ed research and
coordination body that helps the
county think about educational
progress from preschool through
undergraduate degree.
These high school graduates
with college credits can go to
college without leaving home.
In Stark County alone, three
liberal arts universities, Walsh,
Malone and Mount Union, offer
a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
Stark State in 2010 was the
fastest growing two-year college
in the nation. Kent State
University at Stark is the largest
regional campus in the Kent
State system, and Aultman
College of Nursing and Health
Sciences offers two-year healthrelated degrees.
FOOD CantonINC
FEEDINGAMERICA:
Several foods
produced locally
SHEARER’S FOODS
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
BY JOAN RENNER
66
ompanies in the region
can produce 230 million
pounds of snacks, 400
million pounds of
processed meats, 110 million pounds
of Swiss cheese — and 10 million
pounds of chocolate.
What more could anyone want?
Shearer’s Foods began with a used
kettle and some potatoes. In 1979,
the Shearer family started selling
C
their kettle-cooked chips through the
snack food distributorship they
bought five years earlier.
The privately held, family-run
company now operates snack food
plants in Brewster, Massillon, Texas,
Virginia and Oregon to produce pretzels, chips, cheese curls and other
snacks. It manufactures for private
and branded labels. Shearer’s has
1,850 employees — 1,100 of them in
northeast Ohio.
Fresh Mark produces ham, bacon
and hot dogs for the company’s
Sugardale and Superior brands, as
well as for private brands. The company makes some beef and turkey products, but pork is its main ingredient.
“If you’ve eaten bacon in a restaurant, you’ve probably eaten our products,” said Marketing Director
Kristin Clemmer.
CantonINC FOOD
FRESH MARK
BREWSTER CHEESE
HARRY LONDON
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
The company employs 2,000 at its
three plants.
Biery Cheese, founded in 1929,
has expanded eight times in the last
eight years. The company, which
packages cheese and distributes it
through its sister trucking company,
Apollo Sky, has doubled both workforces to about 400 in the last two
years.
Executive Vice President Ben Biery
attributes the
growth to marketing, new packaging and new
flavors in the
processed cheese
they produce.
“Our workforce
is just pheBIERY
nomenal; when
you walk in every day and you see
smiles on people’s faces, it really is a
delight to see,” he said.
Brewster Dairy produces roughly
30 percent of the Swiss cheese sold
in America, almost all of it for private labels. Formed in 1965, the
company remains loyal to its Stark
County roots, even as it has acquired
facilities in Idaho and Illinois.
Brewster Dairy employs between
180 and 200 people in its Brewster
facility, and roughly 155 people outside Ohio.
Ninety-year-old Harry London is
still going strong. The chocolate factory is the sole chocolate producer for its
parent company, 1-800-FLOWERS.
Harry London produces chocolates
for its eponymous brand, as well as
for Fannie May and Fanny Farmer,
said Bob Happel, vice president of
business development.
Employment at the plant ranges
from about 200 to 500, depending on
the season, Happel said.
Stark County is well situated for
food distribution: It is within delivery distance to the majority of the
67
FOOD CantonINC
continued from page 67
BREWSTER DAIRY
U.S. population, and wellconnected by good highways.
“There's a lot of room to
sell snacks between here and
any coast,” said Melissa
Shearer, vice president of
communications at Shearer’s.
But Stark County’s real
strength is the skilled, educated and deeply rooted
workforce.
“In the food service industry, it’s not like making nuts
and bolts, you have the
potential of harming people,”
said Mike Walpole, national
sales manager of Brewster
Dairy. “It’s very, very important that you have the right
people in place.”
Where: 800 S Wabash, Brewster
Years in Stark County: 47 (*47 years as
Brewster Dairy. Prior to that, it was Stark
County Milk Producers. It was bought by
John Leeman and renamed Brewster Dairy
in 1965.)
Makes: Swiss cheese and cheese
byproducts, such as protein for energy
drinks and lactose powder for
baby formula.
Facilities in: Brewster, Ohio; Rupert, Idaho
and Stockton, Illinois.
Employs: About 350 in all three plants.
Can produce: Up to 110 million pounds of
Swiss cheese a year.
Website: www.brewstercheese.com
FRESH MARK
Where: 1888 Southway Street SE, Massillon
Years in Stark County: 92
Makes: Bacon, ham and hot dogs, primarily
from pork produced off-site, for retail and
restaurant markets. Also makes some beef
and turkey products.
Facilities in: Solon, Massillon and Canton,
Ohio
Employs: 2,000
Can produce: 400 million pounds of
processed meat a year; produces roughly
500,000 pounds of bacon a day.
Website: www.freshmark.com
SHEARER'S FOODS
Where: 692 N Wabash Ave., Brewster
Years in Stark County: 33
Makes: Pretzels, potato chips, cheese curls,
tortilla chips and other snacks for both
Shearer’s brands and private labels.
Facilities in: Ohio,Texas,Virginia and
Oregon
Can produce: 230 million pounds of
snacks a year
Website: www.shearers.com
CantonINC FOOD
HARRY LONDON
Where: 5353 Lauby Road, North Canton
Years in Stark County: 90
Makes: Chocolates under the Harry London,
Fannie May and Fanny Farmer labels, all of
which are owned by 1-800-FLOWERS.
Employs: Between 200 and 500, depending
on the season.
Can produce: Up to 10 million pounds of
chocolate a year.
Website: www.harrylondon.com
ADDITIONAL FOOD
PRODUCERS IN STARK
SUPERIOR DAIRY
CASE FARMS
Where: 4719 Navarre Rd. SW,
Canton
Makes: Milk products, ice cream,
orange juice, fruit drinks, chip dip
Website:
www.facebook.com/pages/
Superior-Dairy
Where: 1925 30th St. NE
Canton, OH 44705
Makes: Chicken
Website: www.casefarms.com
BIERY CHEESE
MID'S PASTA SAUCE
Where: 6544 Paris Ave NE, Louisville
Years in Stark County: 83
Makes: Processes, packages and distributes
cheeses.
Employs: About 400
Sister company: Biery’s Apollo Sky trucking
arm gives the company the flexibility to deliver
according to retailers’ needs.
Website: www.bierycheese.com
Where: 620 N. Main St., Navarre
Makes: Pasta and pizza sauces
Website: www.mids.cc
HEINZ
FROZEN FOODS
Where: 1301 Oberlin Ave. SW,
Massillon
Makes: Frozen foods
Website: www.heinz.com
FRITO-LAY INC.
Where: 4030 16th Street SW,
Canton
Makes: Pretzels and snacks
Website: www.fritolay.com
NICKLES BAKERY
Where: 26 N. Main St., Navarre
Makes: Breads, rolls, cakes and
donuts
Website: www.nicklesbakery.com
CANTON/STARK COUNTY
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES
CANTON REGIONAL
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce is
a membership organization of nearly 1,600 institutions and individuals dedicated to the advancement of the economic, industrial, professional,
cultural and civic welfare of Stark County. Since
1914, the Chamber has worked to advance business and develop community through partnerships, programs, services and events to achieve
economic growth for Canton/Stark County.
www.CantonChamber.org, 330-456-7253.
CANTON DEVELOPMENT
PARTNERSHIP
The Canton Development Partnership is a coalition of area development organizations and city
government that share an interest in downtown
Canton’s continual improvement, revitalization,
image and quality of life for its citizens. Partner
organizations include: Canton Regional Chamber,
Downtown Canton Special Improvement
District, Downtown Canton Land Bank, Canton
Tomorrow, Inc., and City of Canton.
www.DowntownCanton.com, 330-456-7253.
CANTON/STARK COUNTY
CONVENTION AND
VISITORS’ BUREAU
The Canton/Stark County Convention and
Visitors’ Bureau, a department of the Canton
Regional Chamber of Commerce, is here to
assist you in your travels to our area.Whether
you are organizing a tour group, a convention or
sporting event, we have professional staff members ready to assist in your planning.The CVB
services the community by attracting tourists,
convention and meeting planners and sporting
events to the Stark County area and operating
the Tourist and Visitor Information Centers.
www.VisitCantonStark.com, 800-552-6051.
CITY OF CANTON
800 S.Wabash Ave. in Brewster
330-767-3492
BrewsterCheese.com
Canton is home to well known national landmarks such as the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the
William McKinley Presidential Library and National
Monument, and the National First Ladies’ Library
and Research Center. Mayor William J. Healy II is
aggressively pursuing new companies and businesses to the city. Canton has a wide variety of
attributes that make the city a smart location for
companies of all shapes, sizes and industries, and
the city has programs that provide incentives for
business location, relocation or expansion.
www.CantonOhio.gov, 330-489-3283.
STARK AREA REGIONAL
TRANSIT AUTHORITY
SARTA provides more than 2.4 million rides a
year in Stark County through Fixed Route
and Proline services. Its goal is to ensure that
Stark County residents including employees,
students, seniors and disabled individuals have
access to a quality transportation system that
is both reliable and affordable. www.SARTA
Online.com, 330-47-SARTA.
STARK COUNTY
ASSOC. OF REALTORS
The Stark County Association of Realtors®,
proudly serving the Realtors®, homebuyers,
and home sellers of Stark County, Ohio, strives
to enhance the ability and opportunity of its
members to conduct their business successfully
and ethically, and to promote the preservation
of the right to own, use and transfer real property. www.StarkRealtors.com, 330-494-5630.
STARK COUNTY
BUILDING INDUSTRY
ASSOCIATION
The Building Industry Association of Stark
County is a nonprofit trade association affiliated
with the Ohio Home Builders Association and
the National Association of Home Builders.
Chartered in 1945, the BIA represents and
promotes the interests and concerns of the
building industry and the community.The
organization provides Stark County consumers
and businesses with a directory of member
builders. www.BIAStark .com, 330-494-5700.
STARK COUNTY
HUMAN RESOURCES
ASSOCIATION
Whether you are new to the Human
Resources field or have many years of experience, Stark County Human Resources
Association is a local starting point for networking, information, professional development and continued support of excellence in
Human Resources.The organization, founded
in 1944, is an affiliate of the Society for
Human Resource Management. Stark.SHRM
.org, 330-451-8670.
STARK COUNTY
PORT AUTHORITY
The Stark County Port Authority
helps to provide the Greater Stark
County area with an economic development tool for new capital investment, job creation and retention.The
organization helps create and preserve jobs through a wide variety of
financing, real estate and foreign trade
zone programs. www.Stark
CoOhio.com, 330-453-5900.
STARK COUNTY
SAFETY COUNCIL
The Canton Regional Chamber, with
support from the Ohio Bureau of
Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Compensation, administers
Stark County Safety Council, one the
top councils out of more than 80 in
Ohio.The Safety Council provides a
forum for safety and health information, education and networking in
Stark County, through leadership,
innovation, facilitation, programs and
support. www.StarkCountySafety
Council.org, 330-456-7253.
STARK
DEVELOPMENT
BOARD
The Stark Development Board is a
private, nonprofit corporation created
to help local companies grow and
expand. In addition, it actively seeks to
attract new business investments to
Stark County, one of the most economically viable areas in Northeast
Ohio, as well as to advocate for
workforce development.
www.StarkCoOhio.com, 330-4535900.
STARK REGIONAL
PLANNING
COMMISSION
The Stark County Regional Planning
Commission improves the quality of
life in Stark County and its communities through an effective regional
forum characterized by communication, collaboration, facilitation and
planning assistance.The organization
includes metropolitan planning, community development and engineering
departments. www.Co.Stark.OH.us,
330-451-7389.
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
JOBSOHIO
JobsOhio is a private, nonprofit corporation
designed to lead Ohio’s job-creation efforts
by singularly focusing on attracting and
retaining jobs, with an emphasis on strategic
industry sectors. JobsOhio is your ambassador. www.Jobs-Ohio.com, 614-224-6446.
MAGNET
MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy and
Growth Network, supports, educates and
champions manufacturing, with the goal of
transforming the region’s economy into a
powerful, global player.The organization helps
manufacturers adopt innovative techniques,
increase productivity and global access.
www.magnetwork.org, 800- 669-2267.
BUSINESS NETWORK
The Regional Business Network aggregates resources to bring Stark,Tuscarawas
and surrounding county businesses specialized services, funding through grants
and loans, and staffing that options any
company can access and use to do business better. www.RegionalBusiness
Network.org, 855-669-4726.
SCORE
SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated
to helping small businesses get off the
ground, grow and achieve their goals through
education and mentorship. www.Canton
Regional.SCORE.org, 330- 244-3280.
SMALL BUSINESS
The Small Business Development Center at
Kent State University at Stark is a fully
funded nonprofit organization devoted to
helping small businesses grow and individuals start new small businesses through
training programs and consultation sessions.
www.CantonSBDC.org, 330-244-3290.
MINORITY BUSINESS
The Stark County Minority Business
Association fosters development and
growth of minority-owned businesses.
www.TheABCDinc.com, 330-455-6385.
EMPLOYMENT SOURCE
The Employment Source is northeastern
Ohio’s premier workforce development and
training center, connecting job seekers with
employers by providing numerous
resources. www.ESwork.com, 330-433-9675.
EDUCATION,
LEADERSHIP,
WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
LEADERSHIP
STARK COUNTY
Leadership Stark County, a department of
the Canton Regional Chamber of
Commerce, engages and educates Stark
County’s community leaders through a
range of programs tailored to meet business
and community needs. LSC works with
community organizations to identify, prepare
and position graduates for leadership within
these organizations.The result is a core of
motivated leaders with a lifelong commitment to community trusteeship. www.
LeadershipStarkCounty.org, 330-456-7253.
STARK CO. EDUCATIONAL
SERVICE CENTER
The Stark County Educational Service
Center is committed to meeting Stark
County school district needs by providing
quality educational support and services
for more than 60,000 diverse, wide-ranging students in Stark County.www.Stark
CountyESC.org, 330-492-8136.
STARK EDUCATION
PARTNERSHIP
The Stark Education Partnership, Inc., is a
non-profit education reform support organization in Stark County, crossing the lines of
17 public school districts.The partnership
collaborates with educators, business, community and civic leaders to create and
respond to opportunities that will add substantial and measurable value to education.
www.EDPartner.org, 330-452-0829.
YSTARK!
ystark!, a department of the Canton Regional
Chamber of Commerce, is Stark County’s
dynamic young professional initiative.The
organization works to attract, retain and
engage young professionals, ultimately developing an involved and educated workforce
for area businesses through programs, networking opportunities, educational engagement. yStark! program highlights include the
“Twenty under 40” awards, the Fellowship
Program with local businesses and Canton
Entrepreneur Launch grants. www.ystark.org,
330-456-7253.
Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce
PARTING SHOT CantonINC
74
Photo by Bob Rossiter
RAINBOW OVER THE COURTHOUSE ANGELS On the National Register of Historic Places, the Stark County Courthouse
sits in the heart of downtown Canton. Referred to locally as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;courthouse angels,â&#x20AC;? these robed figures stand at the very top of
the building, and are representations of commerce, justice, agriculture and industry.The courthouse was built in 1895 and has
undergone major renovations over the years to maintain its original splendor.